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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. file — a tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rock — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com